Solving the VEXing Challenge Of STEM

Partnerships make it happen for winning team
to attend State Robotics Championships

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va –After months of practice and winning the local competition, the Bailey's Computer Clubhouse team was elated to learn last week it qualified to enter the State VEX Robotics tournament in Doswell, Virginia February 22. That enthusiasm, however, was quickly tempered as the team sponsors realized, although the kids were ready, willing and able to go, they simply didn't have the entry fee or money for transportation to make it happen.

With all of this support the teams will hold a late today practice and will embark early tomorrow for the state competition along with their coaches, Northern Virginia Community College Students.

The teams are part of the Northern Virginia Community College's (NVCC) SySTEMic Solutions initiative. Created in response to the region's critical shortage of scientists, engineers and technicians, the program's ultimate goal is to meet the demand for a trained workforce in advanced technologies. Students in SySTEMic Solutions are likely to be the first in their family who have considered college, and come from a moderate or lower income family. With multi-institutional collaboration at the secondary and post-secondary level coupled with collaboration among K-12 school divisions and industry, this key best practice is set to increase college success and completion rates amongst at-risk student populations.

Through SySTEMic Solutions, NVCC has created a collaborative arrangement among K-12 school divisions, higher education institutions, local government and employers to create a sustainable workforce pipeline that by the year 2015 will have more than 3,000 students preparing for STEM careers.